Life of a Roman: An AAR
My name is not important, what is important is that I am a Roman, a citizen and my duty is to defend the Republic. My father was moderately wealthy, a farmer with land of his own, slaves and freemen working for him. He was also a hero of the Republic fighting against Pyrrhus at Heraclea, Asculum and Beneventum, giving his life at Beneventum. What was my families reward? A senator, a man who sat out the battles against the Greek tyrant, took our land, our slaves, everything. My mother took my sisters to Rome to live with relatives, while I worked for a neighbour. My father had helped this man set up his farm, loaned him slaves to work his fields when he was ill and what help did he give my family in it's hour of need? A job paying me half of what he paid his freemen, despite the fact I knew more about farming than him and his entire workforce put together. After 6 months of labouring to enrich somebody else I couldn't take it anymore and went to Rome to find my family and perhaps my fortune...
No, I'm not that naive or that much of a fool. I knew I was more likely to find starvation and isolation in Rome than my fortune, but I had no idea what else I could do. I had a tiny amount of money, enough to survive on for a few days while I found something to do. I am only fifteen, but tall and strong for my age and I can easily pass for eighteen, surely somebody would take me on as an apprentice.
Rome was a disappointment, I hadn't expected streets paved with gold and talking birds on street corners, but I had expected more than street after street of filthy tenements, waste poured out of upper storey windows and beggars and cut-throats lurking around every bend. If it wasn't so clear I could handle myself I doubt I would have made it alive through my first night. I did though, and found my family the next day. I wished I hadn't. My eldest sister was working as a whore, my mother didn't even try to hide it from me. Not only had my fathers death taken her husband and wealth, it seemingly took her self respect. I left, vowing never to visit again. As far as I was concerned I was now an orphaned only child. I would grieve for my father, but the rest of my family had never existed as far as I was concerned.
As I left the house a crowd of people rushed passed. I grabbed a straggler from the group and asked what was happening. The legions for the year were being recruited and all citizens had to register. I followed the group and saw a huge mass of men in a large open area with lines formed in front of tables. I joined the shortest line and waited my turn. Two men in front of me were discussing their hopes for the registration. "I have had a particularly good year, rent has doubled and I managed to buy another building. I am a cert for the Triarii." "Indeed," his colleague replied "I expect you will be fighting alongside me this year, killing Greeks and Tarentines and perhaps even those scum in Rhegion."
After most of the day had passed my turn came at last. The offices asked for my name and any deeds to property or slaves. I told him I had nothing but the clothes on my back and two sesterces in my pocket. He looked at me carefully and asked was I an escaped slave to which I angrily replied I wasn't and my father had fought Pyrrhus. He smiled and told me that was a very nice story, I couldn't join the army however as I was one of the capite censi, and too poor to be assigned a rank. "I can hit a rabbit at fifty paces with a sling, my father trained my with pilum and gladius. I have trained to join the legion, you can't turn me away just because i have no money!" "Yes I can," he replied "how can you buy a gladius, a pilum, any armour? Do you intend to throw your two sesterces at the Greeks?" "I have my sling in my pocket and the last time I checked the ammunition for it was free, I can fight."
He looked at me for a long moment then took a sheet of paper from under the one he had filled my name and details in. "You could join the irregular skirmishers, but I warn you it will not be easy. You will be the lowest of the low, beneath even the velites and the allies. You will be fodder, if sacrificing the whole lot of you will save one Hastati it will be done, you will probably be dead within the year. It is your choice though, you will be fed, you may get to sleep in a tent if you are lucky and you get to kill Greeks. You might even get paid something if the signifer is feeling particularly generous."
What did I have to lose? I signed up and was told to report for duty the next day. We are to march south within the week. My life as a citizen soldier is just beginning and I want to make my father proud and one day say my name without feeling shame for my loss of status.
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Originally Posted by Dayve
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